


Squeezing Blood From a Turnip

by NaliaRenegade



Category: Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-23
Updated: 2011-07-23
Packaged: 2017-10-21 16:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/227436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaliaRenegade/pseuds/NaliaRenegade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hope has a hard time coping with Lightnings blunt and insensitive behavior.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Squeezing Blood From a Turnip

**Author's Note:**

> There is some crack content.

"You'd think," a disgruntled 18 year old Hope said. "That, after 4 years, she'd get it. At least a little. And by the way Sazh, she lied to us about her age. She wasn't 21 during the whole L'Cie thing, like she told us, but 19. And, might I add," Bitterness accompanied the clatter of him putting a platter of still hot brownies down on the table in front of the older man. "A younger 19 than Vanille was."

"Really?" Sazh raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. She lied about her age when she was 14, so that she could get into the military. They weren't accepting kids younger than 16 into Guardian Core. She just 'forgot' to tell us otherwise."

Sazh picked up a brownie. "You sound really upset about that," he chuckled.

"I am!" Hope plopped down into a rickety wooden chair and tore into a brownie. "Do you know how long it took me to try and figure out when Vanille's birthday was in order to put it on her memorial? And then Light turns around and says, 'Huh, so Vanille was older than me.' We put our lives into the hands of the second youngest member of our group, the moodier one no less!"

"Just because she was younger doesn't change the fact that she was and is a natural leader. You ever wonder why she didn't tell-"

"That's not what bugs me! I don't care that she was younger. I mean, hey! Proof that youngsters actually know what we're talking about. But she's such a fucking HYPOCRITE!" Hope slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth.

There was a pause as Sazh waited for Hope to calm down. "We knew that already."

"Yeah." Hope let out a breath in an effort to calm himself. He ran a hand through his silvery blond hair. "But I mean, it turns out that her and Snow had a thing and he's... what 3? 4 years older? Is 5 years really that much of a stretch? And I wouldn't ever do what Snow did, turning around and falling in love with Serah just because Lighting was off on some military mission for a year or more."

"No," Sahz laughed. "You'd mope around and wait for her to come back."

"Better than betraying her."

The older man scrutinized Hope's serious expression for a moment then sighed, "You really gotta get over this obsession, Hope."

There was a beat of silence.

"I know," Hope shook his head, a torn expression on his face as he looked out the window. "It's just- She... I love her so much. I-" He looked at his feet and sighed. Closing his eyes, he managed to spit out with a hoarse bitterness, "I know."

Sazh put a comforting hand on Hope's shoulder, "Lightning is Lightning. She's as stubborn as a mule, sometimes I wonder whether anything gets through that thick skull of her's."

"Yeah," Hope wiped at his eyes with shaking hands.

The older man looked at Hope's broken posture. He asked, "What's really bothering you?"

Hope looked around at his make-shift shack. The wooden logs creaked as the wind beat at the sides of his home. The windows were covered with white sheets embroidered with his mother's favorite bird edged pattern. The carefully laid stone floor was uneven, full of quirks and strange colored pieces. "I built this place with my own hands, you know that?"

"Yeah, Hope, I know."

"Even the embroidery I did with my own hands. The table, I carved it. The only thing I didn't do was the kitchen and bathroom. Guess that's why its 'the safest part of this fire trap.'"

"Did she say that?"

Hope nodded, his laugh watery."She was gone for an entire year, while I did this. She had even said that she would help, right before she up and left. I made due on my own though. And she finally comes along- comes back - takes one look at it before calling it 'a building violation that should be condemned' that I should get my money back and that I should just 'move back in with Bartholemew'."

He looked at his hands, scarred from building and protecting his house. "I guess no one told her that dad died. I told her and that I built this place myself. You know what she said? 'Oh. Well you could stay with Snow and Serah. They'd look after you.' Like I was some kid still. It made me angry to hear her say something like that and we fought."

Sazh said, "Well you are still a kid Hope."

Hope nodded in response. "I know, but I'm not 5 and that's how she treats me. Goddamn! I take out full grown Behemoths by myself! I am noted as one of the greatest doctors New or Old Cacoon has ever seen. I meld Magic and Science together because they aren't meant to fight! They are the same. They are tools. Powerful forces that when used right can save people who are near death or in the begining stages of death."

He shook his head, "She doesn't appreciate, or even acknowlegd that- me. She doesn't see me. Light doesn't see anyone, but herself. She is so obsessed with being the lone knight, that everyone else just... WHOOSH!" Hoped waved his hand over his head to demonstrate.

There was a brief pause then Sazh said, "You still love her."

"Yeah, I do." Hope took a deep breath, "Some days are just harder than others."

There was a moments pause and Hope stood, "Help yourself to the brownies, I think I lost my appetite."

Sazh sighed as he watched Hope grab a pristine white towel and set about wiping down his counter. "You still going to try and get her, huh?"

Hope nodded, "Yeah."

Sazh shook his head. "But she breaks your heart, your self esteem. She doesn't even give you an inch. I don't think she's interested, Hope."

Hope shrugged. "Until she outright rejects me and gives me a good reason why we wouldn't work, when we would. I will keep trying. Besides," Hope turned smirking. "It hurts so good."

"You're a masochist, Hope."

"Yup. So are you. You wouldn't still be waiting around for Vanille if you weren't," Hope pointed out. Then he took a kinder more serious tone. "Take some brownies with you as you leave. Dajh will like them."

"Alright," Sazh nodded. "Good luck, Hope."

A secret grin spred itself across Hope's face, "Yeah. Someone's gotta have some right? God knows the rest of us don't."

Sazh laughed, "Guess not. Later Kid."


End file.
